This election has attracted a plethora of excellent judicial candidates and the race for Harris County Civil Court at Law No. 4 is no exception.

We were impressed for different reasons by both Republican Sophia Mafrige, 56, and Democrat William “Bill” McLeod, 59, but are narrowly giving our endorsement to Mafrige.

She has been practicing law for 30 years, almost twice as long as McLeod, and has quasi-judicial experience as chairwoman of the city of Houston's Police Officers' Civil Service Commission, which has jurisdiction over appeals of disciplinary actions, grievances, compensation issues and other matters.

But the goodhearted candidate had some ideas for court outreach to teach the public about the legal system and for moving the docket along more efficiently.

He also said he would perform gay marriages, an issue that Mafrige punted on by saying she would perform no marriages at all because she is Greek Orthodox and therefore believes marriages must be done in church.

We questioned whether that might be a way of avoiding the anti-gay wrath of one of her endorsers, Steven Hotze, but she insisted it was not.

We endorse Mafrige for Harris County Civil Court at Law No. 4, but we think voters can’t go wrong with either candidate.